CIS Number One Ranked UFV Cascades defeat Saskatchewan Huskies

January 12, 2013, Abbotsford, BC (ISN) – The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades women’s basketball team defeated the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, 71-62, at the Envision Athletic Centre tonight to improve their Pacific Division record to 10-1.

The Cascades are now 5-0 at the EAC this year. The Huskies record falls to 5-6 in the Prairie Division of Canada West.

The Cascades battled two opponents tonight the very talented Huskies team and a 40-day layoff since their last Canada West regular season game. While UFV came out strong and quickly established an early lead, the Huskies kept it close and trailed UFV by six points after the first quarter. The Huskies found their shooting range in the second quarter as they outscored UFV by 12 points to go into the locker room up by six points. This marks the first time all year that the Cascades trailed at the intermission at the EAC.

UFV shot 35 percent from the floor for the first half, while Saskatchewan hit for 40 percent. Aieisha Luyken, Mission, BC led all Cascades at the break with 11 points. Dalyce Emmerson, Prince Albert, SK led the Huskies at the intermission with a game high 15 points.

The second half started with UFV going on a seven point run to take back the lead at 36-35, three minutes into the quarter. UFV started to find their legs in the third quarter and played tremendous defense holding Saskatchewan to 8 points while building a six point lead going into the final quarter. The Huskies never quit and came within one point at 54-53, in the final quarter, before UFV when on a second seven point run to clinch their 10thvictory of the Canada West campaign.

Luyken led all scorers with a game high 24 point performance. Sarah Wierks, Chilliwack, BC added 21 points and 10 rebounds. UFV shot 52 percent in the second half and 44 for the game. The Cascades out rebounded Saskatchewan for the game 33 to 22. Emmerson led Saskatchewan with 18 points, followed by Riley Humbert, Saskatoon, SK and Kiera Lyons, Ryley, Alberta both with 10 points.

“After a really tough second quarter where we were late on all our rotations, recovery and our communication was really struggling at the defensive end of the floor, I thought the girls really regrouped in the second half and had persevered against an excellent Saskatchewan team to get the job done,” commented Al Tuchscherer UFV’s head coach.

“After a game like that you question the wisdom of not playing over Christmas. Especially coming up against a team like the Huskies who do some really nice things and Emmerson is a handful in the paint, I’m not looking forward to playing her for the next three years. Hopefully we will be a little better tomorrow as we have another very difficult challenge in Alberta coming into town.”

UFV will face the University of Alberta Pandas, 7-4, after their 73-53 victory over TWU tonight in Langley, BC.

The UFV Cascades are members of Canada West (CIS) and PACWEST (CCAA) with 140 student-athletes participating on nine varsity teams in men’s and women’s basketball, rowing, soccer, volleyball and men’s golf. UFV athletics plays its home games in the Envision Athletic Centre (Abbotsford, BC), Exhibition Field and Chilliwack Golf & Country Club (Chilliwack, BC) and rows at the Fort Langley Rowing Club (Fort Langley, BC). Follow the Cascades on Twitter @ufvcascades and Facebook (UFV Cascades Athletics) or visit the department’s web site at www.ufvcascades.ca

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